20 Kids Share the Homemade Meals They Like Best of All

You might be quite surprised and inspired by the different dishes these kids favor.

By Lorraine Allen

This past week, I hit a new wall. After six years of preparing dinner every night for my kid, I got really tired of cooking so many meals that she does not enjoy eating. She's not a big eater, period, so that's a big part of the issue. The other part, I realize, is that I'm making dishes she just does not love. So, I asked her to make me a list of her top 10 favorite meals. That way, I could just make variations of those for a while, to give us both a break from our dinner frustrations. But she could only come up with two things. Two! For further inspiration, I decided to ask her peers what they like to eat. Here’s what my daughter and 19 of her friends shared as their favorite homemade meals.

1. “I like to make my own pizza with my mama.” – My daughter, Lina, age 6

2. “Omelets! Especially for dinner.” -- Vicki, age 9

3. “I like sausages.” -- Connor, age 7

4. “Rice and beans with shrimp.” -- Carmela, age 5

5. “The curly noodles in the soup with the spicy mustard greens.” -- Sita, age 6

13. “Sometimes, I like roasted chicken the best, and sometimes, I like fried chicken the best. I can't really decide. It's impossible.” -- Luca, age 7

14. “I like to make sushi with my dad. I'm the best at rolling the seaweed. And I like lots of soy sauce with it, too.” -- Allison, age 6

15. “My favorite food is the chicken on the sticks with the vegetables that my daddy grills and then you dip it in the tomato sauce and eat it with the rice.” -- Eliza, age 5

16. “I like stuffed green peppers with lots of cheese on top. Even the spicy ones too.” --Isabel, age 8

17. “Turkey chili! (Not spicy though!)” -- Joey, age 9

18. “Shrimp and pork dumplings with fried rice.” -- Lucy, age 15

19. “Crepes stuffed with ham and cheese or cheese and mushrooms.” -- Agnes, age 12

20. “My grandma's chicken pot pie. It's the best!” -- Isaac, age 10

So, here I am with over a dozen great new ideas for kid-favorite homemade meals to try at home. Yay! I hope you’ll feel inspired by this list, as well.

Can you also share your kid’s favorite homemade meal?

Lorraine Allen is a writer, and mom and personal chef to one spunky 6-year-old girl with severe food allergies. You can enjoy their delicious recipes and follow their amusing family cooking adventures at Feeding Lina.